McAdam Garden Center: October 23, 2008

Edition 8.43

October 23, 2008

FEATURED QUOTE :

"If you are not killing plants, you are not really stretching yourself as a gardener."
~J. C. Raulston

Trees, shrubs, perennials and decor -50% off

COSTUME CONTEST

October 31, 2008, from 2-3 PM

Come and have fun at our costume contest, and help someone in need .
The entire registration fee will be donated to the food pantry.

RULES:

Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
Participants must wear a full costume and all costumes must be appropriate to the general public.
$1.00 registration fee per person.
Participants must register to enter the contest by October 30.
Participants enter the contest at their own risk; McAdam Landscaping Inc. is not responsible for any injuries due to the event.
In order to win, participants must be present at the garden center at 3 PM, have their registration receipt and their name tag.
Time of the event: 3 PM to 4 PM.
Judges may not participate in the event.

First Prize: $100.00
Second Prize: $50.00
Third Prize : $25.00

CATEGORIES TO QUALIFY

Creativity
Originality

Thanks to all our friends who came to our pumpkin party. It was a great party, and we hope you had as much fun as we did!

Friday, October 31 is Halloween!

We dare you to win first, second or third place in our costume contest!

How often do I need to re-pot my plants into larger containers?

Answer:

Unfortunately, plants are not like the fish in your tank that only grow to the size of their home. Plants grow root-bound when the amount of plant root volume exceeds the amount of soil volume in their container.

To check, gently lift out your plant from its container. If you can see mostly roots and very little soil, then it is time to transplant your plant into a larger container.

Select a container that is about 20% larger in volume than your existing pot. A good rule of thumb is not to use a container that is more than 4 inches wider and deeper than your existing root ball. Use a good potting soil and make sure that the top of the existing root ball is even with the top of the soil in the new container.

When you are done, you should have no more than 2" of new soil surrounding all sides of the root ball. Add a little starter food, water in and you're good to go!

3 pounds butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 leek, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 (49.5 fluid ounce) cans chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sherry wine
1 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Step by Step:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Pour a thin layer of water in a baking dish, or a cookie sheet with sides.
Place the squash halves cut side down on the dish.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce the flesh.
Cool slightly, then remove the peel. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the onion, leek and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes, until tender.
Pour the chicken broth into the pot. Add the potatoes, and bring to a boil.
Cook for about 20 minutes, or until soft.
Add the squash, and mash with the potatoes until chunks are small.
Use an immersible hand blender to purée the soup, or transfer to a blender or food processor in batches, and purée until smooth. Return to the pot.
Season the soup with cayenne pepper, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, salt and pepper, then stir in the sherry and half-and-half cream.
Heat through, but do not boil.
Ladle into bowls, and top with a dollop of sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings

Forest Park
Weather Courtesy of:
Weather Sponsor

Have a Look
Around the Site:

Home
Archives
Rose Gallery

Subscribe to our mailing list!

Click here to subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address.

Help us keep our planet clean!

Now you can bring empty plastic containers to us; we will recycle them.

Be a Guest Gardener:

Gardeners love to learn from other gardeners "over the fence." We would love to include a tour and/or an article from one of our readers!

Click to send us your story.

Contact Information:

E-Mail:
Click to contact us.

Telephone:
(708) 771-4903

Address:
2001 Des Plaines Ave.
Forest Park, IL 60130

Hours:
Monday-Saturday
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Sunday 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

IGIA

ANLA

ILCA

nursery products

click here for a printer friendly version of this page

Written content © 2004-2011 Garden Partners LLC, or respective authors. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. All written content contained in this site is protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published, or broadcast without prior written permission of Garden Partners, LLC. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. Would you like a newsletter like this for your nursery or garden center? Please feel free to look at what we have to offer and contact us for your garden center marketing solutions.